GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The Green Bay men’s basketball team will be adding Kerem Kanter to its roster beginning with the 2014-15 season, head coach Brian Wardle announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Kanter, a native of Istanbul, Turkey and brother of Utah Jazz forward Enes Kanter, played the 2013-14 season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where the 6-foot-9 left-handed forward averaged 17 points and nine rebounds while shooting 64 percent from the field.

“I decided to come to Green Bay because of their winning attitude,” Kanter said. “The program is about winning and improving their players. Another reason is the relationship I built with the coaching staff. They did an amazing job recruiting me, and I felt like this place is where I want to be. I know they won the Horizon League last year and had a great record. Coming to a team which has a chance to win their league again and go to a tournament and make some noise is a great opportunity.”

Kanter, who will be a freshman on the roster, has a strong resume of experience playing internationally. He was a key member of the Under-18 Turkish national team that claimed the gold medal at the 2013 U18 European Championships in Riga, Latvia. In a semifinal win over Spain, Kanter scored a team-high 22 points.

“We are very excited to add Kerem Kanter to our program,” Wardle said. “To have a young man come over from Turkey and represent our program is exciting not only for Green Bay Basketball but also for our entire University. Kerem is a skilled forward that brings an ability to score from the inside and out. He has a great bloodline of basketball in his family, and we know he is extremely excited to get to Green Bay to pursue his dream of getting a college education and being a Division I player.”

John Mahoney, the head coach of the IMG Varsity Team, stresses Kanter’s ability to score and also his competitiveness.

“Kerem is a 6-foot-9 lefty who is very skilled and a gamer,” Mahoney said. “He has a knack to use his body to score around the rim. He will provide great depth for Green Bay.”

QuoteworthyKerem Kanter – “I usually play at the power forward position. I am a scorer. I can score in a variety of ways. I am also a good rebounder. I hate losing more than I love winning. I was always the main player at the teams that I've played on, but I know college basketball is different. I want to get in the best shape and get used to my teammates before we make some national impact.”

Brian Wardle – “Kerem is a young man that has won and has played at a high level and is all about winning. We were very selective with who we brought into this program this late in the recruiting process, but we have known about Kerem for a long time and know that his winning attitude makes him a great fit with our team.”

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